Did the Dolphins upgrade with CB Eric Green?

The Dolphins have signed former Arizona Cardinal Eric Green to a multi-year contract.

The long-awaited move could solidify Miami’s 2009 starting secondary.

Green, who turns 27 on Monday, is expected to step into the right cornerback position opposite Will Allen – held last season by Andre Goodman, who led the team with five interceptions and 19 passes defensed.

The Dolphins decided not to re-sign Goodman, who turns 31 in August, has a long injury history and wanted too much money. He signed five-year, $25 million deal with the Broncos … a lot of money for a player who was key to the Dolphins playoff run but struggled early in the season.

Whether Green is an upgrade remains to be seen.

He’s clearly more experienced and proven than the Dolphins’ other cornerbacks – Jason Allen, Nate Jones and Joey Thomas.

Allen, the team’s first-round pick in 2006, has made 11 NFL starts, but 10 have been at safety and one as the team’s nickel back. Jones has two NFL starts at cornerback and Thomas one.

Green, who played at Virginia Tech, is considered an athletic player with good size (5-11, 196). But he hasn’t shown good ball skills or play-making ability.

In 51 regular-season games, including 33 starts, Green has two interceptions to go with 169 tackles and 31 passes defensed.

But he also heads into the prime of his career with a proven coaching staff and secondary coach, Todd Bowles, who interviewed during the off-season for some NFL head coaching jobs.

Either way, the Dolphins secondary expects to be improved.

Will Allen is coming off a solid season; Yeremiah Bell, who signed a long-term deal, will look to build on a career year (team-high 120 tackles); and free-agent pick-up Gibril Wilson should be an improvement on Renaldo Hill at free safety.

If Green holds his own and the Dolphins’ pass rush improves with the emergence of second-year ends Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford and the addition of players like Cameron Wake, the Dolphins might be OK.